It’s finally Easter weekend, and the sun will hopefully continue to dazzle. Spring is without a doubt in full bloom and we seem to be plouging full steam ahead towards summer. Nothing says British summer time more those two weeks in early July where everyone flocks to pub gardens to watch the the tennis greats battle it out, and what is Wimbeldon without strawberries and cream.
With an an average grow time of roughly 60 days, many around the country will be thinking about borrowing some strawberry seeds into the ground which visions of fresh homegrown strawberries and cream in a couple of months’ time. But whilst strawberries are relatively easy fodder for even the most amateur gardener, you might want to check you’re not planting your strawberries next to this vegetable, no matter how delicious and versatile it may be.
Potatoes might be one of the most useful vegetables around, but you’ll be less thankful for their presence when you realise that they are going to make your beloved strawberries sick.
“Potatoes and strawberries should not be planted together due to shared susceptibility to diseases, particularly fungal infections like verticillium wilt,” said Steven Bell of Ethan Mason Paving, speaking to Ideal Home. “This disease can affect both crops and spread quickly between them, potentially ruining an entire patch.”
It will also do well for strawberry fanatics to bare in mind that tomatoes and augbergines also belong to the same family, those those are are also to be avoided if you want to enjoy Jack Draper win wimbeldon as much as possible.
Another pesky group to be avoided are the pesky cucurbits, to which you’re probably thinking ‘what on earth are those!’ This is the name for the family of plants that contain squash, cucumber and melon.
They all extract lots of nutrients along with them whilst spreading diseases. “Plus,” Morris added, “their big, long vines will grow over strawberry plants, shading them from sunlight.”
Here are a final few things to avoid planting smack bang next to your succulent strawberries:
- cabbages and kale
- fennel and mint
- onions and garlic
- carrots
- brassicas
You might think this is a lot, but strawberries are just a little fussy. Their divas, you might say. But treat them right and you won’t regret it when you take a juicy bite and look over at your neighbours sorry berries.
